Did you know?
#1 A
recent project replaced the lighting in the field house. The College now saves approximately
120,000 KWH of
electricity
annually.
#2 The elevators in
Diamond, SSW and in the new bookstore use vegetable oil instead of hydraulic
oil.
#3 Geothermal is
used in SSW. Geothermal works for
heating and cooling because the water temperature at 1,500
feet
stays consistently in the mid to upper 50s. When that water is pumped up into
the building in the summer it is
relatively
cool compared to ambient air temperatures and it helps cool the building; in
winter it's relatively warm
and
heats the building as its warmth is transferred to liquid in the building's
heating and cooling systems.
#4 Light censors
such as this one are located in buildings around campus to reduce energy use by
turning lights off
when
rooms are not in use.
#5 Organic rice and
grain are used in the dining halls.
#6 This is a device called a vendmiser. The college has started to install this
equipment that uses Òdummy logicÓ to
power down
refrigerated vending machines when they are not in use. The vending machine turns off, and
occasionally
turns back on to keep them cooled.
Vendmisers significantly reduce the vending machinesÕ energy
consumption.
#7 These bleed water
tanks in SSW collect excess water from Geothermal. When the water is pumped from the
ground,
ground water naturally fills the well preventing the water from being pumped
back into the ground. So to
keep the
water from going to waste it is used for the toilets in the building and to
irrigate the landscaping around
the building.
#8 Green chemicals are used by
both PPD and Dining Services.
#9 Bio-degradable utensils and containers are used
in the Spa.
#10 Water meter/ gauge.
These can be found a number of places on campus including on or near
buildings, and by
the baseball field. They
measure how much rain we have received.
If we have had enough rain they keep the
sprinklers from turning on and wasting water.
#11 In the dining halls we try to
serve as much local food, like ShainÕs of Maine ice cream, and local produce as
possible. Not only is the local food tasty and fresh it also reduces
greenhouse gas emissions because it only has to
be transported a sort distance.
#12
Colby is dedicated to
using clean power, we use 100% renewable power. This certificate is for the green e-
certified
wind part of our power. Of the
electricity Colby purchases 42% comes from hydropower, 46% comes
from wood
product biomass and 8% is wind.
The use of green power has resulted in more than a 30% reduction
in
carbon emissions.
#13 ColbyÕs
dining halls compost food waste.
If Colby did not compost its food waste from the dining halls, more than
50 tons of
additional garbage would have to be processed by landfills or sewer treatment
facilities each year.
Composting
conserves water and energy.
#14 The feed water economizer in the
steam plant pre-heats the water so it takes less energy to create the steam
that
turns the turbine.
#15 Colby remains committed to
sustainable building practices. The Pulver Pavilion, which opened in the fall
of 2007,
along with
the new bookstore, both in Cotter Union, will
be submitted for LEED certification when the latter is
completed
this summer.
#16 The turbine in the cogeneration
plant. Through the use of
cogeneration Colby generates approximately 10% of its
own energy.
#17 This hybrid gas electric four-wheel
Ford Escape driven by Pat Murphy the director of PPD. This is one of two
hybrids on campus. Bro also drive a hybrid. When this vehicle comes to a stop or is driven at low speeds
it
switches to electric. In
the winter it gets 30 mph and even better fuel economy in the summer. Not bad for four
wheel drive!
#18 All of ColbyÕs toilet paper,
paper towels, and napkins are made of 100% recycled material.
#19 Diamond is LEED Certified after
earning points for more than 30 green building initiatives. Next time you are
in
Diamond check out the interactive touch
screen that shows you the different green building initiatives and where
they are in the building.
#20 Benches around campus like this one are made in Maine and
made of Maine cedar. And the brick bases are
made of recycled bricks from an earlier Colby project.
#21 This garden outside of SSW is one
of the gardens on campus that uses native plants. Right now it doesnÕt look
like much, but in a few months it will contain wild blueberries, and ferns
among other plants that are native to
Maine.
#22 Colby remains committed to sustainable building practices.
The Pulver Pavilion, which opened in the fall
of 2007,
along with
the new bookstore, both in Cotter Union, will
be submitted for LEED certification when the latter is
completed
this summer.
#23 As you probably know compact florescent light bulbs are
energy efficient alternative to traditional light bulbs. But
did you know that Enviro Co conducts
light bulb swaps. They will give
you compact florescent light bulbs in
exchange your old light bulbs.
Colby is also gearing up to launch a compact florescent light bulb collection
program. So donÕt throw your
CFL away!! Once the program is up and running weÕll collect your CFLs and
dispose of them properly.
#24 At the end of each year RESCUE (Recycle Everything
Save ColbyÕs Useable Excess) collects items that are
donated by students as they move out of the dorms. Collecting these items, reduces the
amount of waste that
enters the waste stream and provides students an opportunity to buy
items at great prices when they return to
campus in the fall. This
past year RESCUE reduced ColbyÕs waste by 525 cubic yards, which saved $6,500
in
landfill disposal costs. So
as you move out this spring remember to look for the orange donation boxes in
your
dorm!!
#25 Colby's first LEED-certified
building, the Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center, which
opened in 2005, was one of
the
first academic buildings in Maine certified by the program.
SSW has received LEED Silver Certification for
features including its geothermal wells, 50 percent locally harvested
materials, and the fact that 64 percent of the
project construction waste was diverted from landfill.